New Year, New You, Better Career: Why You Should Get More Training This Year January 13, 2009

Do you still make New Year’s resolutions? If this is still some sort of beginning-of-the-year practice for you, let me recommend one thing to consider putting high on your list: training.

That’s right — training. More education, as in going to classes or seminars to learn. This year, if you want to make something of yourself and improve your chances at having a better career, getting trained could be the best decision you’ll make. Here are reasons why:

– Training keeps your knowledge base updated
– Training opens up your mind to better ways of doing your job
– Training gives you a better shot at getting better job opportunities at work
– Training gives you a better chance at getting a promotion
– Training could be a way to have better pay
– Training improves your employability (so in case you lose your job, you’re still attractive to other employers)

Where to find training

In-houseAsk your company or the HR department what types of trainings are available for you and the people in your department. To save money, many medium- to large-sized companies choose to offer trainings in-house instead of sending their employees off to third party seminars.

In general, the HR/Training Department often prepares a list of trainings at the end of the year. These trainings are scheduled for the next year. By the first week of January, you can probably find this listing made available to employees.

If you find a few that seems a fit for you, sign up or go to your supervisor or manager and express your interest.

Advantages:
– Cheap and convenient
– Your comfort level is high because you will train with people you know
– You don’t need to leave the office

Disadvantages:
– You might not take the training seriously because it’s in-house (although you do so at your own risk)
– You might be distracted by work or tempted to leave the training room to check stuff on your desk or computer
– You don’t need to leave the office so lakwatsa is out of the question. If there’s a huge sale at the mall, you can’t ‘drop by’ for a look-see.

Third party trainingsIf there are trainings that are not available in-house, you can find them through professional trainers. There are many companies that offer seminars and courses for professionals, which is perfect for your continuing education goals.

How to get it: Most of the time, your company will ask you to go to these types of trainings. They make their decisions based on your qualifications (or the lack of it), the type of work you do and the type of responsibilities that they see you doing in the future.

However, you could also ask if you’re qualified to go. Not every employer will say yes if you waved a training brochure and tell them you want in but that doesn’t mean they can’t be persuaded. Just make sure that the training is relevant to your work, can contribute to your professional skills, worth the cost and most of all, will contribute to the company’s bottomline.

Advantages:
– Conducted by trained professionals
– You have a wide range of choices in terms of training type, subject matter, location and cost
– You get to network with other participants
– Free of cost to you since the company will shoulder the fees
– You get to leave the office

Disadvantages:
– Might be costly, which means that the company might require you to offset it with a specific length of service with them. If company policy dictates that any training above P20,000 will mean that you can’t resign for the next 12 months, then you’re stuck with the company for that period. Even if a better opportunity comes along, you can’t pack your things and go.
– You might have to spend for the training if the company won’t pay for it.
– You could spend a significant amount of time away from work.

Online training
Online training is becoming more popular because it’s so convenient and reasonably priced. You could choose this route if the training is appropriate for your needs and you don’t have the time or opportunity to spend work hours sitting in a chair in a convention hall.

Advantages:
– Very convenient. Most online trainings allow you to learn at your own pace and at your own time. Courses are e-mailed to you and you can work on them at any time you like. You do have to watch out for deadlines, though.
– You get a good range of choices in terms of subject — almost unlimited, actually.
– You can get international training. You don’t have to be physically present at a university in the U.S., Japan or the U.K. to get certified for any courses.
– Relatively cheap

Disadvantages:
– You might not have the self-discipline to complete a course.
– In case your employer won’t pay for your training, you’ll have to shell out the dough to do it.
– You have to be extra careful about the institution offering the training — they could be scams.
– The training might not be accredited in your country.

Training can be a very effective means to get a leg up the corporate ladder. Whether it’s an associate degree, a certificate, a Master’s or a Doctorate, consider improving your chances of becoming a better professional, no matter what type of work you do. It’s your future after all and you’ve got a good 12 months ahead to do it.